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Office of Academic Assessment

Grading with Rubrics

May 6, 2011 * Spring 2011 Issue

A Newsletter on Assessment

The Office of Academic Assessment, with the support of Undergraduate Programs/Core and the contributions of USM faculty, are pleased to distribute a newsletter each semester including recent articles, updates, and information on assessment at the national level and the local assessment initiatives at USM.

Grading with Rubrics

Grading Criteria Being Used at USM

Here is an excellent example of clearly defined criteria for evaluating student writing. Not surprising, since it comes from our experts in College Writing! Many other faculty use these criteria to guide and evaluate student writing. Doing so helps us create a set of common practices for teaching writing at USM.

“I used variations on the linked rubric in a range of courses (from 300-level Sociology to EYE). The rubric allowed me to explain how form and content are connected. In addition, I liked using this rubric because the rubric itself teaches about the craft of writing, not just about how to ‘get an A.’”

“I stumbled across this book by Maja Wilson, Rethinking Rubrics in Writing Assessment, by accident. It has shifted my ideas about rubrics significantly. I still think they’re useful, but the book made me think much more carefully about when and how to use them. The link above takes you to a review of the book; sub-links connect to a brief interview with Wilson and an excerpt from her book.” – Susan McWilliams

Classroom Assessment Technique (CAT)

The “Muddiest Point” is a quick and easy Classroom Assessment Technique (CAT) that can be used in an introductory college course. This non-graded assessment technique is a teaching tool that can help faculty determine if their students understand a lecture, reading assignment, and so on. Read more here: CAT2 for Assessment Newsletter

Institutional Assessment at USM

USM is participating in the following national surveys (NSSE and FSSE) during this Spring semester. The surveys are administered electronically by Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research. Results will be given to USM in the early Fall.

* NSSE 2011 Survey Administration

Freshmen and senior students have been asked to complete the online National Survey of Student Engagement Survey (NSSE) by the end of March. Please read the brief summary of how students responded on the last NSSE (2009) Survey.

* FSSE 2011 Survey Administration

Faculty members at USM will be sent an e-mail asking them to respond to the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE) during the month of April. Please read a brief summary of how the faculty responded on the last FSSE (2009) Survey.